Father Arrested After 8-Hour Standoff, Allegedly Locked Children In Room For Months

A metro father was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on Monday after an eight-hour standoff with police at a northwest Oklahoma City home.

The tactical team was called to rescue 36-year-old Jose Eduardo-Perez’s three children. Police said the father refused to turn the children over to authorities.

The man's family told police he was locked in a room with his three children for months, and the children have not been to school in over three months.

Relatives of Eduardo-Perez told Oklahoma City police they were concerned after not seeing him or his three children leave their home near Northwest 10th Street and Portland Avenue for months. 

“It had been a few months since they had any contact with the kids, so they called police to check the welfare,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department.

Police said when officers went to the home on Monday afternoon Eduardo-Perez refused to let the children leave.

“Police believed there was a danger inside the home,” said Quirk.

Officers learned the man barricaded the door so no one could get in or out of the home. After hours of negotiations with Eduardo-Perez police said investigators and the tactical team were called out. Eight hours after police were initially called, the tact team entered the home.

“They were able to get inside, get the children out safely,” said Quirk. “They were unharmed, and the caregiver was taken into custody.”

Police did not say if the children were placed with relatives or in the custody of the Department of Human Services.

Eduardo-Perez was booked into jail on three counts of child neglect and an outstanding immigration violation warrant.